Induction Day
by LavenderAndTime
Summary: When eight-year-old Theta Sigma gazed into the Untempered Schism, he saw infinite chaos... and it was beautiful. (There's a few "Listen" spoilers in here.)


**This sort of links with my other story featuring Theta, "Just a Dream," but can easily be read alone. Be warned, however; there will be a few "Listen" spoilers in here. It's nothing too spoilery, but I always err on the side of caution.**

**This is part one of two.**

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><p><em>Induction Day<em>

_"Don't lose your focus,"_ they said.

_"Concentrate!"_

_"Keep your mind clear and open, and you'll be accepted."_

These were suggestions Academy students who had lived through Induction before passed to the younger generations.

Theta, however, knew better than to heed their advice. The Untempered Schism existed as a window into Time itself, a force that couldn't be dumbed down into measly advice, or a few chapters in a book. Giving advice on how to cope with it was like giving others test answers when their test was to be completely different. Not even the most scholarly of his cousins could successfully prepare themselves for the sight they would witness.

The Schism was life changing. It was said that whomever gazed into the Untempered Schism would resign to one of three fates. Some found themselves inspired. Others ran away. And a few... well- the Schism drove a few of them mad.

The younger cousins often whispered stories about inductees who went a little off the deep end. Personally, Theta thought it was balmy, because the foundation of the tale was always the same. The inductee stared into the Schism in the dark of the night, and saw eternity. Unable to cope with the vision, their mind destabilized, and the next morning they were gone. They crawled back to the Singularity after everyone else left, and threw themself in. The sheer force of Time ripped their physical and mental form apart, until not even their memory remained.

He was so sure they were fake, created to scare new inductees. After all, if anyone _did_ throw themselves into the Time Vortex, no one would remember it. There would be no story to tell.

Theta was only eight years old, but unlike the others, he did not fear these stories. His only fear was that he'd somehow fail initiation, and end up stuck in Gallifrey's military for his entire lifetime. Fail initiation, and there was no chance of being admitted into the Academy. Without attending the Academy, he couldn't become a Time Lord. If he weren't a Time Lord, he couldn't recieve a TARDIS _or_ live to touch the stars. Ever since he could create a coherent thought, he dreamed of discovering the mysteries that lay out there, beyond the burnt orange skies. And tonight was his one shot at reaching this goal.

He had an excuse to be afraid. The course of his entire existence _depended_ on this one moment. Forget Glospin, forget all the other cousins who mocked him for years- he had to get this right. Tonight, he couldn't run away and cry.

Theta plodded along the dirt path in a stuffy black and white initiation robe, flanked by a Time Lord on each side. One was male, and the other was female. They were mentors at the Academy, but tonight they didn't seem willing to do any mentoring. Neither spoke at any point on the trail. In fact, they never shed a glance at him. _Rude_, he thought. He sure hoped wouldn't become this uppity in the future...

The path wound through a thicket of trees, driving him further and further from familiarity. The Time Lords allowed no one to cross through this section of the planet unless they were being initiated, so everything was new to him. His surroundings appeared as black as the Void, only illuminated by the handheld lamps his guides carried. He didn't like this uncertainty. It made even the darkest nights seem bleaker.

Theta fiddled with the plastic figure he put in his pocket. It was a broken soldier toy, with one of its arms completely missing. To him, it was synonymous with bravery. Unfortunately, he couldn't manage to remember the exact circumstances in which he received it. He remembered a gentle, still voice. A hand, stroking the back of his head. Everything else was a dream-like blur. He wished he remembered everything. That voice, it told him something... something about fear. It was something he could likely benefit from, now.

A clearing opened up in front of him. Luckily, it was brighter here, thanks to the torches next to the gate of the Untempered Schism. He saw the faintest flickers of a metal ring and the warping Schism held inside, but was quickly instructed to look down until told otherwise. Impatiently, he kicked a pebble by his feet. There was nothing interesting of note down there, just a cobbled path.

Something in his head jumped. He imagined it was his mind, reacting to his proximity to the largest gap in the fabric of reality. His stomach turned. Rassilon, he just wanted to _see_ it! He felt like he'd chicken out if he waited a second longer.

Minutes passed as the two Time Lord mentors spoke, in hushed tones. All the while he messed with the hemlines of his robe, letting the nervous tension build.

"Stand on the seal, Theta Sigma of Lungbarrow," the female Time Lord finally told him.

_Well, it's about time._

He hobbled forward until he saw the Seal of Rassilon under his feet. He couldn't see it- not yet- but he felt it. Its roar. The sheer power of Time. It was enough to make his skin timgle and his hair stand on end. His single heart (only Time Lords had a second, which they received upon their first regeneration) pumped blood as fast as it could to make up for the clammy sensation he felt in his fingers.

Voices originated from so far away, now.

"You may now proclaim The Oath," the woman prompted.

Theta searched deep in his mind for the words he had memorized weeks ago.

"I swear to protect the ancient Law of Gallifrey with all my might and brain," he recited. "I will to the end of my days, with justice and with honour temper my actions and my thoughts."

"Should what you say be truth, you now hold the privilege to gaze upon the Untempered Schism," the man said.

Theta took a deep, hesitant breath. He snapped his head up, and immediately, the majesty of the Vortex captured his gaze.

_Swirling._

_Tumbling._

_Pulsing, throbbing._

_All-consuming._

He saw colors he never imagined possible. He saw light and darkness, wound into a single thread. He saw the beginning, the birth of the universe, and the furthest reaches of intelligence.

He saw infinite chaos... And it was beautiful.

A faint gasp escaped his lips. The longer he stared at the singularity, the more his mind ached. It manifested as a squeezing sensation. To him, it was like the Schism was pulling his brain through his eyes, and into the churning nexus of the Time Vortex. He grit his teeth, grimacing through the intense pain.

He felt his mind open up to Time. Suddenly he could see everything. Past, present, future, they were all there, all at once. Every possibility that ever was danced like ribbons through the whirls of existence. He saw the beginning and the end of everything. He saw every fixed point, and every decision that spawned parallel universes.

Most importantly, he saw reality as it was. Ultimately, it didn't need the Time Lords' laws to remain. It was breathing by its own devices.

Theta's eyes watered. He yearned to blink, but he couldn't. The Untempered Schism wouldn't allow him. His vision blurred, and he was almost overwhelmed by the discomfort.

He saw his own future, suspended in a smear of consciousness. Twelve men stood before him in his mind, their faces obscured by shadow. This vision quickly dissolved away, replaced by brief flickers of memory. Escape. Travel. Adventure, danger. Friendship, love, and heartbreak.

War.

Theta couldn't breathe, like his lungs had dissolved. He found he couldn't bear to peel his eyes away, no matter how painful and draining this experience was.

And yet, for that one moment, the young Time Lord-to-be realized the full impact his future would have upon the stability of the universe. He saw Time's final destination. The neurons in his brain burned as new connections were made, and when his legs nearly crumpled under him, Theta realized he couldn't take this level of mental strain anymore. He had to let go...

He gasped when he finally managed to turn away. Instantly, the burning sensation subsided, and the visions of the past and future all but disappeared. Only traces of the strong emotions he felt were left. He sensed an inherent loneliness in his future, hints of desperation, and... fear.

He swallowed hard. Without thinking twice, he turned tail and ran.


End file.
